“I used to shine bright like gold, now I’m all indigo.”
A woman who tries to escape her past with no hope for the future, ends up on an unknown place playing childhood games to win. A man from her past happens to be there for the exact same reason. Will they escape their haunted pasts? Or they will end up dying in vain?
Just a pilot first chapter to see if you all like this series! It will be an oc x Cho Sang Woo, but I will try to not use her name much either (im avoiding y/n so I’m keeping it simple). Also English is my second language so forgive me for any mistakes and please correct me! Some things are left unknown for later chapters. <3
Warnings: blood, depression, heavy language etc.
She woke to the soft sound of rain tapping against the window. The night had been rough, and the day promised to be no easier. She was already late for a job interview, probably another one she'd never hear back from, just like all the others.
The phone rang, pulling her from her thoughts. She scrambled across the tiny room, pulling on her clothes as she went.
Who could it be at this hour?
"Can we talk?" came the voice on the other end, low and urgent.
"I'm late for something," she replied, trying to rush through the words.
"Meet me at seven tonight," the man said, cutting her off. "I finish work early."
Before she could respond, he hung up. Not that she wanted to, but she knew she’d go. But why would he want to meet on a random Thursday evening?
The interview had been a brief glimmer of hope "We’ll call you in the next few days.”they said to her. The school was only twenty minutes away from her apartment, a dream job. Maybe this was the universe’s way of throwing her a bone.
The rain had stopped by the time she arrived at the metro station, and she smiled, because maybe it was her lucky day finally after so many years. But as she waited for the next train, a tall man in a business suit, carrying a small case, approached her. She ignored him at first, assuming he'd ask for money or try to sell something, but then he spoke.
"Ma’am."
She glanced up, annoyed, then quickly turned away. She didn’t have time for this.
“Sorry, I’m busy…” she muttered, standing up and moving toward an empty seat.
But the man followed her. “I’d like to offer you a great opportunity.”
She paused, narrowing her eyes. "A great opportunity?" she repeated, confused. What was this some sort of scam? Was he a cult recruiter? Either way, she wasn’t interested.
“Want to play a game?” he asked, his voice smooth.
“A game?” She raised an eyebrow. What was he talking about?
Without waiting for her response, the man pulled out two small pieces of paper, one red, the other blue.
“I'm sure you've played ddakji before, right?”
She shook her head. "Not really..."
"It's simple," he explained, handing her the papers. "Try to flip the one on the ground, and you win."
“What do I win?” she asked skeptically.
He ignored her question entirely. "Pick a color."
Reluctantly, she chose the red paper, placing it on the ground and attempting to flip the blue one. It didn’t move.
"Yeah, not gonna happen..." she muttered, a bit embarrassed. The man, without a word, picked up the blue paper and flicked it with ease. It spun perfectly, landing on its edge.
“You have to pay now," he said.
“Pay? What do you mean, I have to pay?” Her heart skipped a beat.
She had a sinking feeling she was being played.
“How about you pay... with your body?”
“Wh—?” Before she could react, he slapped her hard. The force of the blow almost made her stumble, but she managed to steady herself. Rage bubbled up inside her.
“What the hell? That’s it. I’ve had enough.”
Without thinking, she grabbed the red paper, anger fueling her strength. To her surprise, it hit the blue one and it flicked.
“Ha! Take that!” she shouted, feeling a rush of triumph. “So, what do I win? I get to slap you back?” She was now laughing.
The man laughed, unfazed. Then, to her shock, he pulled out a stack of cash 100,000 won and handed it to her with a smile.
“Congratulations. You were great for a beginner!”
She froze, staring at the money. There was no way this was real. A stranger had just handed her cash for a childish game.
“Take this. There are other games you can make much more.” he said, before giving her a small card. It was marked with a triangle, a square, and a circle. When she flipped it over, a number was scribbled on the back.
What the hell? Should I call this? What does it mean?
By the time the evening arrived, she was standing outside his apartment, exactly at 7:00 PM. Three minutes passed. Then five. She hesitated, unsure if she should have come. Maybe she should’ve just gone home.
"Lyanna!" a voice called from the door.
She turned to see him rushing toward her, a sheepish grin on his face. "Sorry for the wait. Let’s get inside. My mom’s not home."
It had been so long since they'd seen each other.
“It’s been a while, Jun Ho. How are you?”
He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Hard time at work, but... I’m doing okay. What about you? Did you find any job?”
“I can’t say things are great,” she admitted, feeling a lump rise in her throat. “But... I got a job. They accepted me today.”
He laughed, a sound full of relief. “Ah, finally. After all this time... That’s great news. What about the debt? Will you stay in Seoul now that you got the job?”
She hesitated. “The debt... it’s still there,” she said quietly, looking down at the floor. "But, yeah, I’ll stay in Seoul for now. Until I can make enough to get out of here.”
He studied her with concern. The silence that followed was heavy.
“I don’t know why you called, Jun Ho,” she said, breaking the stillness. “Maybe it’s better to forget the past.”
He reached for her arm, his grip tight. "I can’t. I need to find him, Lyanna. You’re my last hope. You’re the only one who can help me."
Her heart tightened. She wanted to help him, but the past... it was too much to carry. "I can’t help you, Jun Ho," she whispered. "I’m just trying to rebuild my own life. I want to find him too for my friend’s sake... but—"
“She would help if it was to find your husband.”
At the mention of her old best friend, a cold shiver ran down her spine. She thought about her every day, ever since she’d passed. The woman had been everything to her.
“This hurts still, you know? Even after all the years…” She said, her voice trembling. “Maybe one day we’ll find him. But I can’t right now, Jun Ho. I’m not in a place to help you. Not when I can’t even help myself.”
She stood up, her hands shaking slightly. “Give my best to your mother,” she said, turning toward the door. But then she stopped, looked him in the eye one last time. “Thank you for calling. I missed you. And I’m glad you’re doing well.”
“Wait!” Jun Ho called, rushing to her. He bent down, picking something off the floor. “You dropped this.”
Shit. The card. She’d dropped it without realizing.
“Oh no. Thank you! I’m such an idiot…” She smiled, forcing herself to laugh. “Stay safe, okay?”
With that, she stepped out the door, her heart heavy with uncertainty as she walked home.
If you wish to participate, please state your name and birthdate.
Lyanna Collet, 1986.
A/n: let me know if you are interested!! It would help me to express your opinion ❤️
